Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 420: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the proposed Judicial Council Bill, which has been promised for a considerable period of time; when it will be brought forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30346/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government undertakes to "legislate to establish a Judicial Council, with lay representation, to provide an effective mechanism for dealing with complaints against judges" and this commitment is being given expression in the form of the proposed Judicial Council Bill. As well as providing for the establishment of a Judicial Council and Board that will promote excellence and high standards of conduct by judges, the proposed Bill is aimed at providing a means of investigating allegations of judicial misconduct supported by the establishment of a Judicial Conduct Committee which will have lay representation.

In November 2011, the then recently appointed Chief Justice, Mrs. Susan Denham, announced that the judiciary had agreed to establish an Interim Judicial Council pending the publication and enactment of the proposed Judicial Council Bill. The taking of this important, forward-looking initiative by the judiciary has been widely welcomed. A sub-committee of the Board of the Interim Judicial Council was subsequently established to consider the General Scheme for a Judicial Council Bill a version of which had been published by the previous Government in August 2010. The observations of the sub-committee were conveyed to me by the Chief Justice on 8 May 2012 and are the subject of ongoing consideration and consultation taking account of intervening developments and current Government policy. This continuing work will inform the framing and drafting of the new Bill including in conjunction with the Offices of Parliamentary Counsel and of the Attorney General. Beyond this, the situation remains as under the Government's Legislation Programme announced by the Chief Whip on 17 April 2012, namely, that the Judicial Council Bill is in the course of being drafted with a view to being published late in 2012.